


Of Arrows and Oracles

by Some_Impossible_Fairytale



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Barry Allen & Felicity Smoak Friendship, Canon Divergence, Eventual Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, F/F, F/M, Green is a thing, Having secret identities is hard work, Mild Language, Mutual Pining, Nanny! Felicity, Oliver has a little girl, Oliver is still the Arrow, Tommy Merlyn is Alive, different profession
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 01:52:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4858670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Some_Impossible_Fairytale/pseuds/Some_Impossible_Fairytale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver Queen returned from a place known as Purgatory, different in so many ways. But most startling was not the proficiency with a bow but the revelation that reformed party animal Ollie is a father. But can Oliver balance fulfilling the promise to his own father whilst being one himself with protecting his city and fighting his desire to his family's very own answer to Mary Poppins, the mysterious Felicity Smoak?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chocolate Coated Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, I was daydreaming and reading Olicity when I decided that there wasn't enough Olicity nanny au! In the world and the idea of Oliver being both the Arrow and a father popped into my head with Felicity as his beautiful hacker au pair. This is my first Olicity fic so I'm not overly sure of how this will turn out but bear with me!
> 
> Anyway, Oliver and a one night stand before the island had a child and when he comes home Oliver discovers this. Oliver does not live in the Queen mansion in this AU, he gets an apartment about a year after returning from the island. At the beginning of this fic only Diggle knows his true identity.

When Oliver Queen, CEO of Queen Consolidated walked through the door on Monday night he had been hopeful that the evening would be a walk in the park. Instead he was greeted by the uneven, pitiful wailing that could only be coming from his little blonde bundle of joy. Tia. Unless  Felicity had dropped the bottle of wine she put out for when he got in again because he’d never seen someone that sober that inconsolable because of alcohol. Not that Felicity was actually _his_ bundle of joy.  Even though she was in fact a bundle of joy. Realising he was over-thinking this, he shook his head, _I’ve been spending too much time with Felicity._ Even though he was home early because he really liked spending time with Felicity and had made sure to cut Mr. Walker off the minute he’d made his proposal, assuring him that Ms. Watson would set up an appointment the moment he’d signed the papers, so that he could get home half an hour early to spend more time with both Tia and Felicity. But no, the sight that greeted him in the kitchen was not of Felicity, red eyed over the shards in the dustpan but of his little six year old terror, Florentia. Oliver had thought that he had enough on his plate returning from a place whose name literally translated as “Purgatory” with a green trunk  and his body weight in baggage only to find that after losing his father, he had become one himself. Florentia’s mother had died and she’d been living with her paternal relatives  ever since. That was when he’d met Felicity Meghan Smoak, sitting at the kitchens counter in the manor, a red pen stuck in her mouth whilst she was joining something clever with Thea’s laptop. Felicity’s computer skills developed as a hobby as he understands it, though he's told her more than once she could make a more than decent living out of it. He's pretty sure he once heard her telling Raisa, the Queen family's fantastic and faithful Russian housekeeper that she went to MIT. So why she decided to become an au pair Oliver will never understand. Regardless of the reason, her computing genius has been an godsend since Oliver became the Arrow. Or the Hood. He doesn’t know which name he deserves but he sure as hell knows which one he’d choose if he could. If he could be the hero his daughter deserved for a father.  God bless Raisa for finding Felicity. The woman was Mary Poppins made flesh. Not that she, or anyone else apart from Diggle was aware of his evening activities, but he had been grateful for the social hierarchy which dictated the children of the wealthy have nannies for once because it meant that Florentia had someone to look after her in the evenings when he was off being the Vigilante. He had briefly considered revoking his promise to his father when he'd met his own child but had decided against it. Every parent wants a brighter future for their child and his best bet for that was Florentia's city was as safe and clean as possible. In order to obtain Felicity's expertise, however Oliver had had to lie, some of which was getting more outlandish everytime. From a bullet ridden experience at the coffeeshop to running out of sports bottles, Oliver needed to up his excuses. Even Tommy was giving the side eye more often than not these days.

 Florentia, or Tia as she was known,  was sitting in her signature purple – _Qweens wear purwple Daddy! Auntie Twea told me –_ pyjama clad back to him on one of the breakfast bar stools, leaning into Felicity, who was cuddling her fiercely as she shushed her soothingly.

Oliver coughed, alerting child and au pair to his presence. Catching Felicity’s eye, he mouthed “What happened?” Taking in her strained expression and the fact that she looked like she’d been crying, his brow creased concernedly. Nobody and nothing made his girls cry. Before she could reply, Florentia launched herself off her perch, dropping to the floor – damn, his kid could bounce _–_ before barrelling across the penthouse to wrap herself around the pant leg of Oliver’s grey suit. Sharing a glance with Felicity who merely shrugged helplessly – and okay, Oliver was officially worried now, because Felicity always knew what to do with Florentia. He’d come to rely on her so intensely these days, even more so than those first few difficult months after his return when Tia had to get used to the idea that her Daddy was alive.

Right. Oliver was getting to the bottom of this right now. Reaching down to detach his distraught daughter and pull her into his arms, he bounced her comfortingly as he strolled toward the kitchen’s central island where he deposited Tia and bent to her eye level, the technique he’d picked up from those parenting books he’d grabbed from Barnes & Noble last year second nature to him now .

“What happened, sweetheart?” he murmured to Florentia, though truth be told his eyes were on Felicity. “Fleecy...[Felicity] broke...my...heart” she informed him in between sobs. Oliver’s eyebrows shot up. _What the hell?_ Felicity would never hurt Tia, they adored each other.

“She didn’t mean to” Oliver replied automatically, stroking Tia’s soft blonde curls not needing to look at Felicity to confirm the strength of his conviction, his faith in her absolute.

“Then w-why did s-she do it?”

 _Beats me kid_ Oliver thought. He couldn’t even imagine _what_ Felicity could have said or done to upset Tia so much. Instead he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and said “Why don’t we have some hot chocolate and work it out, okay bud?”

Tia eyes him cautiously with her big blue eyes “With cweam and cinnamom?” He really should be correcting her pronunciation but God dammit if his little one isn’t one of the most adorable creatures on this planet.  So he winks at her conspiratorially instead. Tia grins, clapping her hands and wipes the tears off her face, before stretching her feet and pointing obviously at the ground to be set down. He obliges, running his hand through her hair as he returns her smile. Oliver looks over, hoping, _no wondering, down boy,_ if he can convince Felicity to join them in delaying bed time only to see the other exceptionally adorable creature in his life is broadcasting a very clear SOS with her eyebrows.

Too late now. He mouths ‘sorry’ even though he has no idea what he’s apologising for. He them immediately bends down and suggests to Florentia distractedly  “Why don’t you got fetch Little T, honey?”  Thankfully, Florentia takes the bait and bounces off to her bedroom to collect her Tiana plushie doll. Having not watched a Disney film in years, Oliver had come home several months ago to find his two favourite females cuddled up on the sofa, deeply engrossed in _The Princess & the Frog. _Apparently Florentia had asked Felicity who her favourite Disney Princess was, which had lead to a discussion of Megara or Tiana followed by an impromptu suspension of the lesson for a viewing of Tiana’s magical adventure through New Orleans.  When Oliver arrived home, Tia had demanded they watch it a second time through so Oliver could appreciate it too.

And he had to say, even though he still had a soft spot in his heart for Robin Hood, for obvious reasons, he was something of a fox himself after all, he had thoroughly enjoyed himself, getting to spend quality time with his daughter. And Felicity. And Diggle had absolutely not caught him humming ‘Gonna take you there’ as he cleaned up the Foundry. More than once. Tia loved the film because Tiana was cool and brave and had the same nickname she did, Oliver approved of it because it taught the value of hard work and remembering what was important in life. Felicity had laughed and said he loved it really because it encouraged love, the colour green and following your dreams and he had not corrected her.  

Oliver straightens and crosses the kitchen to where Felicity is standing, looking very much like she would rather be drinking a nice wine rather than hot chocolate. She tries to bolt forgetting that she lives with a man she nicknamed Forrest Gump. She even got him one of those Bubba Gump Shrimp t-shirts with “RUN FORREST RUN” and “STOP FORREST STOP” on when she found out he didn’t have anything along the lines of what Felicity called “fun t-shirts”.

_“Y’know, fun, Oliver, like pictures of angels with police phone boxes or a charmander in a pumpkin”_

He didn't understand either of those remarks but he'd worn the t-shirt all the same. When Speedy had  caught him in it she'd died laughing and called it poetic justice or something.   For the second time that day Oliver is intensely glad that he recruited  John Diggle into his crusade so that he can take care of his family life rather than Hooding up every once in a while. Although originally this had been in order to protect his identity, it had swiftly become more about his daughter than anything else. And even if he would never admit it under torture, Felicity had rapidly become a part of that.  “Felicity?”

No response.

“Fel-i-ci-ty”  he sounded out her name, mouth wrapping round the syllables as it always did when he especially wanted her attention. Apparently the way he said her name always sounded different, softer if you believe the Lance sisters, but Oliver doesn’t see it. Gently gripping Felicity’s elbow he guided her out of the kitchen, towards the penthouse’s open plan living room and the comfortable sofas situated there.

Looking her right in those deep blue eyes, Oliver prods as quickly and gently as possible before Tia reappears “What is going on with you?” It’s a testament to how well he knows her , understands her that Oliver knows to pre-empt her inevitable lie “Don’t say –“

“Nothing” There it is, like clockwork, making Oliver cough with laugh laughter before talking over her

“ **Don’t say nothing**.” His hands move to the smooth slope of her shoulders, left bare by the cut of her dress, bright pink, just a few shades paler than those trademark fushia lips which have a starring role in his fantasies of late. Achoring her and reassuring her all at once. “The truth, please”, speaking in the firm, kind tone he used on Thea (more often about Roy Harper than not these days) and perfected with Tia when they’ve done something they didn’t want him to know about as well as innocents who get a visit from the Hood.

He sees Felicity swallow. Hard. Oliver’s brow automatically furrows in response because when Felicity is nervous she babbles eight ways to Sunday. But when Felicity is _scared?_ She shuts the hell up. And right now you could hear a pin drop.

In actuality, they can hear Tia scrambling around in her bedroom singing some little ditty as she looks for her Tiana doll which Oliver knows for a fact is in Felicity’s workbag beside the sofa opposite to the one they are currently stood in front of because Felicity was fixing the doll’s ratty skirts.

“You might have noticed that I talk a lot”

“It has not escaped my attention” Oliver joked with the crisp patience he reserved exclusively for Felicity as he waited for her to get her babbling out.

“You might have noticed that I don’t talk a lot...about my family”

 _Okay._ Not where he expected this conversation to be going. She’s right of course, Oliver rarely hears Felicity discuss her family. There’s Barry Allen, he knows of  over in Central City, a foster brother from a terrible accident involving his mother, Oliver’s never gotten the exact details, nor has he yet to meet Barry as Felicity always goes to him instead of him coming here to Starling but he can’t recall a conversation where Felicity has ever actually mentioned her parents. And if she’s going down this road something bad must have happened. Getting Felicity to talk about her family (his sure, she loves his family) is like pulling teeth.  If it were possible Oliver’s expression only softens further and Felicity knows, in that way the two of them always do that it is not out of pity but compassion.

“I have noticed that” Oliver confirmed softly, not betraying the fact that the deeper he tried to dig into the background of Felicity’s origins after they’d first met, the less he seemed to find. He gives her arm a light squeeze, his thumb tracing a circle absentmindedly on her skin.

Felicity sighed “ I’ve told you about Barry. He’s the brother I never had. Blood-wise I mean given that he’s my brother legally and all. But, my mother is...she’s...she’s my mother. “ Felicity rolls her eyes and Oliver nods along, thinking of his own mother and the conditions she had placed on him and Tia upon his return, the never ending list of expectations. About the secrets he was sure she was keeping. “And I don’t really know what my father is, cos he abandoned us.”

Something clenches in Oliver’s chest at her words. The idea of cute little Felicity (he’s seen a photograph of seven year old Felicity with a boy he assumed was Barry, he knows these things) growing up without her father stings. Hell, he didn’t even know Florentia existed until a year ago and now the idea of leaving her, even if that was what was best, leaving her alone without the man who was supposed to keep her safe was unbearable. Well that was his job now. For both of them.

“I barely remember him. But I do remember how much it hurt when he left.” Her voice is tight, thick and her eyes are shining. Felicity is trying very hard to get out what she needs to say, to keep it together and Oliver needs to respect that regardless of how much he simply wishes he could gather her into his arms and let her cry. Felicity isn’t that girl. She’s a fighter and she’d much sooner kick his ass than let him coddle her. Still, her words confuse him. Does she think he’s leaving her high and dry? Has she heard some misconstrued nonsense?

“Just the thought of losing someone that important to me again...”her meaning becomes clear to him at the same moment her face crumples and Oliver is so touched by how much she cares for him (part of his ego is singing that he matters to her just as much as she matters to him but now is neither the time or the place and Sara would smack him for being so insensitive right now)

“Hey” Oliver reaches to cup Felicity’s face between his hands so that she cannot pull away from him, so that she has to comprehend the force of the conviction of what he is about to say “You are _not_ going to lose me. Whatever it is that’s bothering you. _Is_ it about your family?”

Felicity paused and for the first time since he’d arrived home that evening, she actually looked him in the eye. It was only briefly, but Oliver got the sense she was trying to decide something. Probably how much she should tell him.  After everything he’d been through in the past 5 years, Oliver had gotten fairly good at reading people; how to know when they were lying, when  they were after something particular, whether something was a pressure point or not.

“It’s my mom. She’s sick and Barry’s away in Frankfurt right now so, out of the two of us, it has to be me that goes to see her. I’m going to be leaving the day after tomorrow”

Oliver doesn’t see why this would provoke such a severe reaction from Tia and says as much before adding “It’s not a problem though. She’ll be fine the minute you get back, you’ll see.”

“That’s it though. I- I’m not coming back, Oliver. I was telling Tia that I was resigning as her au pair”

It’s almost like Oliver doesn’t even hear her. It’s like the pit’s fallen out of his stomach or he’s been tasered (which, for the record he has been. More than once). Felicity has become such a significant part of his day, of his life since returning from the island. Not to mention in Tia’s, his daughter essentially grew up with Felicity; Felicity was there for her first words, her first steps, her first day of preschool. Oliver imagined she’d be there for them all, either as au pair or someday something more.  She’s a fixture in both of their lives. One he doesn’t want to live without.

“I’m sorry Oliver. I was going to tell you when Florentia was asleep but – I don’t know how long I’ll be gone so it’s for the best”

_No. It’s not._

“Felicity, I –“

“Dada I can’t find T!” His daughter really had _the worst_ timing, her re-entry into the main area breaking the spell that had been cast around himself and Felicity. She got it from Thea, he’d swear to God. They both turn to see Tia come dashing cross the floor to come and stand in front of her two parental figures looking as severely unimpressed as it was for a six year old to be. Even worse she looked like she was on the brink of more unhappy tears. Evidently glad of the interruption, Felicity jumps into action, retrieving a made over Tiana doll from the bag of sewing and holding it out as an offering to the disgruntled child. Predictably, the change in mood is immediate. A blinding smile, reminiscent of a young Speedy, illuminates the little girl’s face as she snatches the doll-

“Don’t snatch Florentia” Felicity reprimands “We don’t snatch”

“Sorry, Fleecy” Tia replies, hugging the doll to her and with Tiana safely in the crook of her arm, she takes Felicity’s hand and busies herself with getting Felicity to sit herself where Tia instructs. Oliver can’t fight back the laugh that erupts from his throat as his daughter, who is in essence _their_ daughter, throws her doll so that it lands on the counter before sticking her hands up saying “Up, Lissa pwease”.  

Felicity moves to fulfil her wish and Oliver is left once more to stand and watch his girls in silence. Florentia and Felicity. He likes the odd trick of fate that grouped this alliteration into his life. Even though the pull towards her is stronger than anything; stronger than Sara, Helena, McKenna (to name just a few of his previous liaisons) or even Laurel, who he dreamt of returning to.  Tia’s calls finally catch his attention and plastering on the smile he reserves for the various socialites or family members he has to lie to on a daily basis, Oliver joins his ladies in the kitchen; ready to whip up his signature hot chocolate. Felicity catches his eye once more and they share a sad, tentative smile, both aware that this domestic bliss will soon be ending. But right here and right now Oliver knows that he can’t do anything but stick to his original plan and enjoy his evening. Tomorrow will be when the difficulties begin. Finding a replacement for Felicity, helping her pack up which he’ll have to make time for – he wonders if he can blow off that board meeting without Isabel Rochev skinning him alive. Not to mention checking in with Digg after he hooded up tonight. Particularly since Digg had all but ordered him to ‘Stop lying to yourself, pull your head out your ass and admit to Felicity that you’re in love with her’

He’d wanted to laugh it off, like he had when Thea had said that she had a list of suggestions for places when he got around to proposing, tell Digg that he was getting a little bit ahead of himself, that Oliver certainly liked Felicity but love was a little too strong a word. But he does. He loves Felicity Smoak. He loves the little crease between her eyebrows when she's working, her ponytail, the way her nail polish changes every week, her colourful, geeky loungewear. 

Felicity, who is the only mystery worth solving anymore.  That he thought he’d have all the time in the world with to solve, to see if he could be with her as himself and then maybe as the Arrow.

He knows it’s incredibly selfish of him to even consider asking Felicity to delay her leaving, or worse still, ask her to wait for Barry to return from Germany so that he can be the one to take care of Donna. Incredibly selfish and yet it would solve the problem so effectively. Oliver shakes his head wishing to dismiss the thought entirely. When he returned from Lian Yu he swore he wouldn’t be the selfish boy who had originally stepped on the Queen’s Gambit. He has to be better, the city deserves better. His daughter deserves a better father. Felicity deserves a better man.

So all in all isn’t the fact that she’s leaving for the best? Felicity deserves someone who wouldn’t put her in danger simply by existing, Felicity deserves someone who doesn’t lie to her everyday, who she won’t have to wait around for, worrying that he’s lying in a gutter wounded or worse. He thought he’d have time to try and get there.

Only time’s run out an he can’t be selfish with her.

But hell does he want to be. Which is why for the next 48 hours, he won’t convince Felicity not to go. He’ll make it his mission to make sure she comes back.

Comes _home._


	2. Business as Usual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So the response to the first chapter of my first Arrow fic was so wonderful and so incredibly encouraging!! Thank you so much!  
> This chapter is both longer and more angstier than I had originally intended but I'm impatient to get the characters where I want them to be! 
> 
> It also did not end where it was supposed to, so I guess that'll be next chapter and I probably will edit this later but I wanted to get it up for you guys. xxxx

Putting her surrogate daughter to bed had actually proved easier than Felicity had originally thought. When she had initially broken the news to the little girl that she would be leaving never to return (she was adamant on that point, regardless of what Oliver had said, and for good reason and anyway it wasn’t like it was her choice, not that she had one in any case) ANYWAY she had thought it would be easier. Easy in the way that she had hoped she would be able to break it to each Queen individually and that way they wouldn’t be able to gang up on her. So much for that plan. Trust Oliver to come home earlier than planned and she was faced with two sets of identical puppy dog eyes and she nearly wasn’t strong enough for such an onslaught damn it. But she had to be. She had to be.

After their hot chocolate, Felicity had insisted that it was time for little girls to bed. Oliver had made some wise crack about her height and how she better get going and as was her way Felicity somehow had managed to turn it into an innuendo. Needless to say she had effectively bolted with Tia bundled under arms to avoid the child asking why her cheeks were red as well as the infuriatingly disarming twinkle in a certain CEO’s eyes. After _that_ it had been smooth sailing, Felicity had read Florentia a chapter of the first _Harry Potter_   (with all the voices) and the little girl had fallen asleep as she always did; with her head in Felicity’s lap having her hair stroked.

Felicity blamed Oliver really for making it so hard for her to leave. It was his entire fault anyway, what with his stupid eyes and back muscles and that adorable grin that betrayed the fact that he knew he was a charming little shit, thank you _very much_ that Felicity always had to fight the urge to collar him and kiss it away. She should never have taken this job for the Queens all those years ago.  In her defence she’d never meant to stay this long, but it had seemed like a good idea, to move as far away from Las Vegas and Massachusetts as it was possible to get. In the end thought, even though it had begun as a temporary measure,  it was all too perfect, being the au pair to Florentia Queen, the perfect child of the cute dead billionaire who turned out not to be dead. Tia made it especially hard to leave. Logically, Felicity knew that, at 6 years old, in a couple of years, Florentia will forget her and she’ll be mentioned in memories and seen in old photographs as someone who used to look after Tia when she was young. But in her heart, Felicity loved the girl as if she were her own daughter. And her attraction to Oliver only complicated matters. She had been able to pretend, just for a little bit, that this life could be hers.  But, just like always, she’d had to wake up eventually.

Oliver had once, to his peril called her Florrie the Flurrie, because she was always rushing everywhere; never finishing a game, never sitting through a story. Tia had stood there, looking absurdly adorable. Hands on hips, dark gold pigtails sticking out, paint on her pinafore, pouting away before deciding that “No” she did not like the new nickname and then proceeded to kick her father hard in the shins. Oliver had been grinning too hard at the picture his daughter made to reprimand her reaction – and it wasn’t like her little powder blue Mary Janes could have hurt him in any case, Oliver was insanely ripped, like what on God’s earth _was_ that and 3,2,1. Point was, he had picked her up and smothered her face in proud kisses until the little one had begged for mercy and Felicity had melted a little bit at the two of them. She still had the video on her phone.

Around Tia, Oliver became filled with a light and warmth like no other,  she imagined it was a more sincere version of the man he’d been before the Island, that had dominated the tabloids. Felicity may not have been in Starling for very long at that point, but even she had become aware of Oliver’s near constant media presence. When she’d mentioned this thought to Raisa, the older woman had smiled saying that her boy had always had a good heart and was becoming the man she always knew he would, before giving Felicity an oddly wistful smile.

The main problem was that Felicity was in love with Oliver and Florentia Queen. That’s what makes all of this so frackin’ complicated. They were hers and she was theirs and she just knew that Tia was waiting for Daddy and Lissy to ‘pull their heads out their asses’ (she’d used Tommy’s words and hadn’t Oliver given his best friend/brother hell when he’d found out where his daughter’s choice of words had originated from) and fall into each other’s arms so they could all live happily ever after.  Except Tia’s only 6 years old and doesn’t understand that billionaire playboy philanthropist CEO’s, who are not as exciting as Marvel made them out to be thank you very much, because she totally gets where Pepper Potts was coming from on that now, _anyway_ , boys like Oliver don’t marry genius au pair hacktivists. Not that Felicity’s a hacker. Anymore. Much.

A long time ago, back when Felicity wore, what is with hindsight, way too much black, a group of men had found out she had graduated top of her class at MIT at only 19 and decided that she was the one who was going to help them decrypt a hard drive. In their defence, and she really shouldn’t be defending such slimy reptiles, they had posed as legitimate business men and said that it had belonged to a dead colleague but possessed highly required and classified business information. What they should of realised is that a girl as smart as Felicity had realised what a load of bullshit this was the minute she decoded the drive. In actuality they worked for a cyber terrorism organisation known as Brother Eye and Felicity had majorly aided and abetted.  She’s been undercover ever since, given that she’s now on their wanted list and therefore their allies wanted lists to boot. Yippee. That had been just over 6 years ago and now it looked like Felicity’s past was finally catching up with her.

And she can’t let them get anywhere near the Queens or their friends. There’s a reason she never brings Barry here, a reason she never goes back to Vegas because it protects her loved ones. If she wasn’t as needy, she’d have severed ties with her family completely but she’d been so young that she’d panicked and if she could count on anyone it was her brother Barry. He had told her that because she’d changed her look and her last name (she had lived under his name of Allen for a while round her time both during and after MIT) and moved way, way across country that she should be safe. The Brotherhood would only be concerned that she’d open her mouth and reveal them which Felicity had never done.  Felicity herself was never entirely sure of this explanation because she still had that flash drive, she’d never handed over the information they had paid her for and she knew they’d want to claim it one day. She just wondered if the Brotherhood themselves realised what they’d had in their possession and if maybe she could destroy it before it fell into the wrong hands.  Even though Felicity had felt safe finally, the alerts and security she had surrounded herself with had started to go off. She’d only been able to throw them off the scent for so long and if her information was correct, they were close to finally finding her. Here. In Starling.

So that’s why the next 24 hours are so important, that’s all the time she can afford she thinks, to say her goodbyes before the net closes. She has to leave tomorrow morning, before Oliver or Tommy or anyone else can convince her otherwise.

Breakfast proceeds just like most days – Tia is a little fussy, a little hesitant but given the circumstances, neither Felicity nor Oliver can bring themselves  to reprimand her and it seems to set the tone for the day, a sad acceptance that this is the last time they’ll all be together. Even Diggle seems sensitive to it when he arrives to drive them into the city. She’d bet her bottom dollar Oliver and he snuck over to the bar across the street last night when they’d all gone to bed going by the look John’s giving her. It’s warm and sad and maybe just a little bit pissed off that he wasn’t kept in the loop. She imagines she’s gunna get that look a lot today.

When they stop outside Tia’s school, the little girl plants herself in Felicity’s lap in stubborn refusal, clinging to the lapels of her turquoise coat.  Covering Tia’s head and little hands with kisses, trying fruitlessly to keep the tears out of her eyes, Felicity promises Florentia that she’ll be right here to pick her up and all the way home too, right till when she closes her eyes to go to sleep. It mollifies her because to a little girl that is a lot of time to convince Lissy not to leave her but it still puts a time limit on things. Felicity hates lies, she sucks at it, even with kids. Oliver, who has been watching the whole exchange in silence simply lifts his daughter off her lap so they can all get out of the car and walk Tia to class like they do every morning.

The drive to Verdant, the club Oliver owns which is managed by Tommy, is awkwardly silent without Tia’s excited chatter. Although she has nothing to be ashamed of, Felicity can’t bring herself to look at Oliver; embarrassed at how badly she had handled last night but she can feel his eyes on her. She knows Oliver, or at least she’d like to think she does having lived and worked with the man for nearly a year. Talking to him now is of no use, she can’t reach him, he’s too deep in his thoughts, thinking how to act. And as for how he will react, she won’t even try to predict. Oh, he had smiled and laughed to distract Florentia last night and they had gone on as if she’d never said anything but Oliver seemed to rarely show anyone the full picture anymore, no doubt she’d learn his real thoughts soon enough. But as of right now, Felicity needs to take care of herself first. With a deep breath she reaches across the car in order to garner Oliver’s attention, gently squeezing his knee for a moment.

“Oliver?” his eyes finally meet her own, eyebrows quirked upwards in askance.

“Can you – I, I’d rather if you didn’t tell the others that I’m leaving I-“

Before she can finish, Oliver shoots her a soft, disarming smile, covering her hand with his own larger one, gently squeezing her fingers. “Of course not Felicity” his voice his gentler still “It’s not my news to tell. Besides –“ and here, just for a moment she sees a flash of hurt in his eyes, as if she’s betrayed him somehow by leaving “I’m sure you don’t want everyone telling you how sorely you’ll be missed”

It’s like there’s another spell on them, the same one from last night; an intensity between the two of them that neither can bear to break. It’s almost like it’s a dare and they’re waiting for each other to go first. Oliver’s deep blue eyes stare in hers, challenging, waiting but for what Felicity doesn’t understand. As far as he’s aware her mother is sick and she’s doing the right thing, going home to take care of her. _But he was fine with that. Helpful even_ her brain supplies _It was when I told him I wasn’t coming back. I don’t understand, I’m only the au pair, it’s not like I’m irreplaceable._

“You are not replaceable to me, Felicity” Oliver’s voice is like iron; speaking with such resolute conviction that it shocks her.  His fingers tighten around her own, drawing her attention and Felicity can’t help but stare at the difference between her soft, small hands with the brightly coloured nails compared to his; large, calloused digits.

_Holy Admiral Grace Hopper I said that **out loud?!**_

Before she can wait for the ground to swallow her hole or even process what Oliver just said, the car pulls to a standstill and Diggle’s voice comes over the intercom “We’ve just pulled up at Verdant Mr. Queen”

And then the moment is over once again and Oliver is climbing out of the vehicle before she can stop him. Felicity slumps back in the seat, feeling frazzled. _And it’s not even 10am_ With a sigh, she follows after.

Oliver had suggested about 3 months ago that if Felicity wanted to keep herself entertained and earn a little extra on the side whilst her charge is at school, she could help out with the technical stuff at Verdant given that Tommy’s always been a little useless with it and Oliver himself –

_“You don’t have to excuse yourself Oliver. You brought me a bullet ridden laptop remember, I think that speaks for  itself regarding your capability with computers don’t you?”_

And after that little jibe, which had apparently forever earned her Tommy’s respect, Felicity had begun to spend time at the club as the technical manager. Generally speaking she was only there during the daytime and so was Tommy, whereas Oliver only really went at night. When the clientele were around. The only rule Felicity ever had about Oliver and women was that he was not to bring any one night stands back to the apartment. Once was quite enough and they’d probably prefer to see the inside of the Queen mansion over Oliver’s bachelor pad complete with child and nanny.

True to form, the minute they enter the club Felicity loses Oliver and Diggle from view, which is odd given that it’s morning but that little mystery will have to wait. Instead, Felicity focuses on her two best friends who are stood bickering by the bar; Tommy Merlyn and Sara Lance.

Whereas Tommy manages the club, Sara manages the bar, which is a skill Felicity hadn’t thought they taught you either in a deserted Island o r the afterlife; wherever Sara had been for the past six years. She’d gotten on the Queen’s Gambit with Oliver all those years ago and, like Oliver, been presumed dead. To say that things were tense between her and Laurel right now was a bit of an understatement. But then Laurel seemed to hate all the women in Oliver’s life who weren’t a blood relation.

When they spotted Felicity, Tommy reached out, grabbed hold and tucked her under his arm in a quick hug before drawing her towards the bar “Liss, thank goodness,  I need you to tell Sara here she’s crazy. Talk some sense into her, I’m begging you!”

“Alright, alright, what exactly is going on here?” Felicity laughed “What did you do?”

Sara looked personally offended by the question before her expression changed into one of mock innocence “Me? Nothing more than usual. It’s all Tommy.”

Felicity grinned, pulling free of Tommy’s grasp to repeat the question, trying to sound disappointed and failing miserably.

“Fine! No need to interrogate me Smoak, geez. I’ve been saying all morning that the reason you guys were late is because you were telling Oliver that you couldn’t possibly stay because you and I are going to run away together and Sara said that that was bullshit because it’s completely obvious from the blush on your face paired with the fact that Ollie went home earlier last night that you two finally jumped each other!”

Felicity had just about recovered from the thought that her decision to leave had been discovered when Tommy had said ‘couldn’t possibly stay’ and was flabberghasted “We – he – how did you know that?!”

Sara clapped her hands in delight and crowed “I knew it!” from her place, sitting on top of the bar “Pay up!” Tommy meanwhile, dug his wallet out his jeans was about to shell out what looked like a fifty when Felicity managed to say “We still haven’t jumped each other!” Realising how that sounded she huffed in frustration before trying again “Oliver is my boss and my friend not my hanky panky buddy guys! I meant how did you know that he left the office early last night?”

“Did you really just use the words ‘hanky panky buddy’?” Tommy laughs, pulling Felicity to him again for a moment to hug her again “Don’t ever change” Once she’d been released once more, Felicity tried her hardest to look annoyed at Tommy but it melted into a soft smile, she could never resist his boyish good humor, the little shit.

Sara leaned over to tuck a stray lock of hair that had worked its way free of her trademark ponytail during her little outburst “She did. You’re cute when you’re mad Felicity, you should try that out on Ollie sometime?”

“Whose trying what out on me?”  _Speak of the devil. Actually if I did that maybe I would get swallowed up by the Earth like I keep wanting to!_ Felicity cringed at the sound of Oliver’s voice across the large space, from the open door of the back office. _So that’s where he went._

“Not a thing Ollie” Sara sang back across at him, taking his appearance as a cue to hop down on the other side of the bar. Oliver only appeared out of the office when he wanted Felicity to do something technical for him that usually had nothing whatsoever to do with the club. Sure enough Oliver gestures for Felicity “Come into my office”

As Felicity and Tommy, who despite probably having better things to do will never pass up an opportunity to ridicule his two closest friends about their attraction cross the floor Felicity can’t help but remark about how she’s always wondered why people say that line, particularly given the connotations attached these days and it would never work on her. Tommy waits the minute or two it always takes for Felicity to catch up with what she’s just said before pointing out that it obviously did.

As they entered, Oliver moved away from the desk where he had been puzzling over his laptop to make way for Felicity.

“Felicity, before you get started I really need your help cracking open this flash drive. It belonged to my father, I found it among his possessions the other day and none of my family can remember the password.” He gestured at the expensive looking device protruding out of the sleek laptop. “I was hoping you could break into it?”

Pushing her spectacles securely into place, Felicity took her seat. Flash drives caused nothing but trouble in her experience. “Shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Although remembering the password is usually far better, hacking these programmes can usually cause more harm than good, you should really ask Mrs. Queen” After a few keystrokes, Felicity expected the window to pop up saying ‘Access granted’ but nothing happened. Frowning, Felicity’s fingers swept across the keyboard more rapidly and the deeper she got into the code she recognised the software. She hadn’t had this much trouble since.... “I don’t know where your father got this laptop Oliver but the technology is military grade. It’ll take me a little while longer.”

Oliver’s lips grew noticeably thinner “I’ve got time. Keep going”

Noticing this, Tommy started up a conversation about the recent game between the Starling City Rockets and the Bluejays, who were Oliver’s favourite team. Felicity and Tommy share a secret smile as Oliver’s shoulder’s managed to loosen just a smidgen, his eyes never leaving Felicity and her work all the same.

There it was! The flash drive opened up its secrets  like a lover.  “Felicity for the Win....Oswin!”

Tommy cracked up at her words and upon seeing Oliver looking at him in confused annoyance for the distraction,  sobered enough to say “Doctor Who reference.” When Oliver’s look morphed into one of disbelief that his best friend knew that piece of information Tommy adopted a look of mock innocence, pointing at the blonde tech genius “Blame Liss, she put me up to it when you were MIA and now I can’t stop. It’s like my own personal brand of heroin”

Given the way he says those last few words Oliver can tell this is another reference, one that Felicity finds particularly insulting if the way she spins in her chair looking appalled is anything to go by. “How dare you quote Twilight in my presence! And about _Doctor Who_!”

Tommy’s full on grinning now, completely undaunted by the blonde’s wrath (although if it were Sara that would the complete opposite, Tommy has admitted to Oliver he finds both Oliver and Sara a little intimidating these days), saunters forward to lean on the back of her chair “But I thought you loved Twilight, Bella Felicity?”

Even though Oliver knows there’s nothing in it, that Tommy is madly in love with Laurel, far more than he himself ever was, something he recognises as jealousy momentarily snakes through his stomach. Felicity meanwhile snatches her laptop up, hands Oliver a post-it note with the information about Tia’s play and dives out of the room yelling “IT WAS A PHASE, I WAS YOUNG AND INNOCENT, I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING!”

Once she’d stopped talking Oliver came towards her, his hand coming up to cup her cheek, “Thank you Felicity, I don’t know what I’d do without you”

Felicity looks up at him – the height difference between them ignites something in his stomach that he doesn’t care to name just yet, as surprised by the remark as she was in the car. She blinks, returning his smile uncertainly, like he’s given her a gift before it fades and she’s looking as worried as she did when he asked her to look up Derek Reston. He’s guessing she might have seen something on that drive. Which is worrying, given that even he doesn’t know what the thug Digg took it off was involved in. But if he knows Felicity, and he does, she won’t mention it. At all. “I should – go...check on Sara. I’ll be back to get started on the security cameras....later”. Adorably flustered, the beautiful blonde ducked out of Oliver’s hold and scurried out the door.

Tommy laughed at their antics and upon seeing Oliver looking truly confused by the spectacle before him, only says “See? Everyone gets a little experimental sometimes. Oh, and do yourself a favour, don’t even bother looking _Twilight_ up. One of the things I wish _I_ could have been on that damned Island for”

Clapping Oliver on the back, Tommy heads for the office door, casually throwing over his shoulder “But you should _definitely_ mention it to Thea. That shit was hilarious while it lasted” With a characteristic wink, one of Oliver’s brothers is gone.

The next thing he hears is Felicity and Sara’s conversation being interrupted by  the crash from glass breaking. Oliver is instantly on his feet, thinking of various assassins or assailants before hearing Sara scream “YOU’RE WHAT?!”

 A grin forms on Oliver’s face before he can stop it. The List will have to wait because his day just got a hell of a lot more interesting.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So there we go! First chapter up. I'm not sure how far this will go or how closely I'll be following canon events of the show in regards to villains and deaths etc but I will try to tie in as much as I can. I hadn’t actually realised until I re-watched Arrow that “The truth, please” is something Oliver does actually use on Thea as well as Felicity (I was rewatching Roy x Thea scenes as I wrote this and that popped up in 1x22) so I am pleased with the characterisation this Chapter! Hopefully I’ll get better at Oliver’s voice as I go on; characters like Felicity, Barry and Roy are easier to get under the skin of at the moment. 
> 
> Let me know if you like what I'm doing here please, it would mean a lot. Pretty please with a engagement ring embedded in souffle on top? xxx


End file.
